The Gerber Baby

Who can resist this face? NO ONE! Apparently not even my little Lauren who is now 2 1/2. Believe it or not, but this little face has played a pivotal role in 'potty training' at the Hirsch household.

In light of the recent lack of using the toilet to go #2, I began placing Lauren back in the cotton training pants that we started out using - no regular panties for this pooping machine! The reason 1. the training pants are more absorbent 2. hopefully they would foster a less disastrous mess, easier clean up and salvage some clothes. So far so good on the strategy with the exception that Lauren still wasn't using the potty for #2.

One day last week after day care, Lauren told me she used the potty at day care to do her little deed and I didn't think much of it at the time because, well we all know that toddlers don't necessarily know what they are talking about and if it did really happen it could have been a fluke. This past weekend while in the process of putting her down for a regular nap she (by herself and without my immediate knowledge) went #2 on the potty. I could not believe it! I was wiping her up when she expressed concern to me that she didn't want to poop on the baby as she pointed to the picture of the Gerber baby on the tag of her Gerber training pants. Holy Crap! I think I finally nailed something with her. A few days ago, she was pointing to this same picture on her training pants and as I always do - I tried to tie it into training her to use the potty and I made a quick remark. Something to the affect that: "You don't want to poop on the baby. This is why you should use the potty to go poopy." You sure never know with children: what will get their attention, what will make the most impact, what will work. You know, they don't come with an instruction manual. I am happy to report that Lauren also used the potty today to go #2. I am hoping this trend will continue and before long it will become second nature. Hallelujah!

On Strike...Sorta

Many would agree that there are not many things worse than changing a diaper, a poopy diaper to be precise. But, there is...changing poopy pants and underwear definitely is! This is something that I have been experiencing much too much these days. You see, Lauren has been on some sorta strike it seems. While she started out good with her potty training, in recent weeks she has done great with peeing on the potty but the pooping part is a different story. And on top of it she announces the terrible deed she has committed as if it were a good thing and something to be proud of. I can hear it now; "Mommy, I went poopy in my pants!" In my mind I am thinking "Oh no, not again! Remember, do not make a face that gives her the idea this is a good thing. Have that talk with her, again, about how she needs to go poop in the potty and she is a big girl." My efforts have not been successful.

The pre-school that Lauren attends has lacked in taking care of the soiled clothes right away when they clean up the "accident." A few times they have put it in a plastic grocery bag, soiled and all, for us to pick up at the end of the day. And a couple of times they did not communicate to us that we had this package to take home and then it has sat like that too long. I am telling you, I have had to throw out a few articles of clothing because of this. Even after I washed it out several times - the piece is just ruined. Fortunately, I got smart and gave in to putting pull-ups on her during the days she is not with John or myself.

Hopefully this is just a phase...that will end soon. I do not desire to continue to run extra loads of laundry during the week to keep up with Lauren's "dirty" little habit. Plus, we'd like to work towards being a diaper/pull-up free household.